New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson etched his name in T20I history by becoming the first bowler to deliver four maiden overs in a single spell during a men's T20 World Cup match. Ferguson's remarkable performance occurred against Papua New Guinea in New Zealand’s final group-stage match of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Unprecedented Feat in T20 World Cups
Ferguson's extraordinary figures of 4-4-0-3 against PNG not only marked him as the second bowler ever in T20Is to bowl four consecutive maiden overs but also the first to achieve this in the context of a men's T20 World Cup. Prior to Ferguson, Canada's Saad Bin Zafar was the only bowler to have accomplished this, recording figures of 4-4-0-2 against Panama during a T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier in Coolidge in 2021.
Ferguson's Spell Against PNG
In the rain-affected match held in Tarouba, New Zealand opted to bowl first. Ferguson, introduced in the fifth over, made an immediate impact. He dismissed PNG captain Assad Vala with his first delivery, caught at first slip. The rest of the over saw Ferguson maintaining tight control over new batsman Sese Bau. Returning in the seventh over, he continued to apply pressure, delivering another maiden over to Bau.
Ferguson resumed his spell in the 12th over, where he trapped Charles Amini LBW for 17. Initially given not out, the decision was overturned after a review showed the ball would have hit the stumps. In the 14th over, Ferguson claimed his third wicket by having Chad Soper edge a delivery onto his stumps for 1. Despite PNG managing two leg-byes in that over, Ferguson’s spell remained otherwise immaculate.
After the match, Ferguson, who was named Player of the Match, reflected on his performance, noting the challenging conditions for batting. He mentioned, “It was obviously a tough wicket to bat on, so it was nice from my point of view to bowl on a surface like that. There was some swing, which was beneficial today.”
New Zealand's Performance
Following Ferguson's spell and a rain delay that affected the start, New Zealand bowled out PNG for 78 in 19.4 overs. Unfortunately for New Zealand, despite this win, their losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies meant that this match was their last in the tournament as they were eliminated from the group stage.